1. Microplastic pollution in drinking water
- Author
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Inga Kirstein, Jes Vollertsen, and Alessio Gomiero
- Subjects
Pollution ,Microplastics ,Bottled water ,media_common.quotation_subject ,Human health ,0207 environmental engineering ,Environmental engineering ,02 engineering and technology ,010501 environmental sciences ,Contamination ,Toxicology ,01 natural sciences ,6. Clean water ,13. Climate action ,Cell toxicity ,Microplastic analysis ,Tap water ,Environmental science ,020701 environmental engineering ,Plastic pollution ,0105 earth and related environmental sciences ,media_common - Abstract
Scientists have demonstrated the presence of microplastics (MPs) in tap and bottled water at various locations. On a global scale, there is still very limited information on MP pollution in drinking water. There are huge differences in reported MP concentration, but no clear conclusion can be drawn if MP content is higher in tap or bottled water. Up to date, it is not clear if these discrepancies arise from differences between the examined systems or from differences in quantification limits, the accuracy of the applied analytical techniques, or contamination during sampling, processing, and analysis. Furthermore, information on MP uptake and fate gained through animal and cell toxicity studies is very limited. To define a limit of tolerance for plastic pollution in drinking water, comparable data resulting from quality assured and controlled methods and more information on the potential uptake and fate of MPs in the human body are still needed.
- Published
- 2021
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